Simpson, Kuchar tied midway through Sony Open

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Associated Press

HONOLULU

Webb Simpson was so determined to switch to a conventional putting style that he broke his belly putter over his knee so he could never use it again. He might be the most surprised of anyone to be tied for the lead Friday in the Sony Open.

With expectations next to nil from using a regular putter for the first time in 10 years, Simpson ran off three birdies over the last five holes for a 4-under 66 to share the lead with Matt Kuchar and PGA Tour rookie Justin Thomas.

“The broken belly putter is in my trophy case at home. It’s on top,” Simpson said. “I can’t use it. I could use it — it would be a short putter.”

Kuchar, playing alongside Simpson, had a 63.

The big surprise was Thomas, the 21-year-old son of a club pro in Kentucky — not because of his age, or because it’s his first time to Waialae, but the way he finished. Thomas figured he couldn’t catch Kuchar and Simpson, so he tried to at least get a little closer to them. He hit 8-iron to 12 feet for birdie, hit a wedge to 6 feet for birdie on the next hole, and then pounded a tee shot on the par-5 ninth and had only a 9-iron to the green. He hit that to 18 feet and made the putt for eagle.

That gave him a 61 — one off the course record Davis Love III set in 1994, about 10 months after Thomas was born.

“It was probably the best zone and best focus I’ve ever been in,” Thomas said. “I knew I was playing well, but I really didn’t know how many under I was for the day, and I just kind of kept playing. It doesn’t happen very often in golf, and it’s really fun to happen. It’s probably maybe only the second time it’s ever happened to me.”

The other time was at a junior event. He was 8.

It sets up for a dynamic weekend at Waialae.

At the top at 12-under 128 were Simpson and Kuchar, who were Ryder Cup teammates last fall, joined by Thomas, one of the promising rookies on tour.

They were two shots clear of Tim Clark (65) and Troy Merritt (64). Defending champion Jimmy Walker had a 66 for his 15th consecutive round in the 60s in Hawaii. That put him in a group four shots behind, very much in the picture on a course where the leaders tend to be bunched up until the back nine on Sunday.

Even though Simpson is a former U.S. Open champion, he might be the most surprised, and certainly among the most pleased.

Warren JFK graduate Jason Kokrak shot a second-round 69 and is eight strokes off the lead at 4-under 136.